Thiruvananthapuram: If asked what more can be offered to patients beyond medicines and treatment amid the relentless pace of her duties at the hospital, nursing officer H Shanifa Beevi has just one answer: care.

A senior nursing officer at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, she sees supporting patients abandoned by their families not merely as part of her official duty, but as a life mission.

One of the major challenges faced by patients who arrive at the hospital without family or relatives is the lack of basic necessities such as clothing and diapers. Recognising this urgent need, the Kerala Government Nurses Association launched the Linni Puthussery Dress Bank. Named in memory of Lini Puthussery, a nurse from Perambra Taluk Hospital who contracted the Nipah virus while caring for infected patients and passed away in May 2018, the initiative has since grown into a vital support system. It was after Shanifa Beevi took charge as coordinator of this initiative in Thiruvananthapuram district that the programme began reaching a larger number of patients.

Shanifa Beevi helps source clothing, diapers and other essential medical supplies, with monthly requirements amounting to nearly one lakh rupees. “We do not accept money from anyone. Instead, sponsors directly purchase and provide the items, which we collect and distribute to patients,” she says. Well wishers, including members of yesteryear actor Prem Nazir’s family, are among those supporting the initiative.

Another significant responsibility she has taken on is the rehabilitation of patients who, even after recovery, have nowhere to return. In coordination with the Department of Social Justice, the Orphanage Control Board and the District Legal Services Authority, Shanifa ensures that all legal procedures are completed before safely relocating such individuals to secure shelters.

A native of Kochalummoodu near Pothencode, Shanifa receives full support from her family in her humanitarian mission. Her husband, A Thaha, a teacher, and her children, Muhammad Farhath and Hanna Hadeeja, also stand firmly beside her in these efforts.

Shanifa often says her guiding principle is that the right hand should not know what the left hand gives. In practice, this philosophy has become a beacon of hope for hundreds of patients who find themselves isolated in the wards of the medical college hospital. In recognition of her work, she was awarded the Indian Medical Association Award in 2023.